The Embedded Software Engineering Kongress was held December 2-5, 2024 in the state of the art Conference Center in Sindelfingen, Germany, bringing together more than 1,200 leading professionals in the embedded software space.
"The bandwidth of presentations and a perfectly organized event leave nothing to be desired," said Dr. Martin Becker of The Mathworks GmbH.
With more than 100 presentations and workshop seminars, the ESE Kongress offered a unique opportunity for participants to network and gain insight about the latest trends in embedded software, including the tremendous impact that AI is having on the industry – as well as take part in some healthy competition on the foosball table.
"Every ESE Kongress is the trendsetting event for the coming year," said Georg Haupt of oose Innovative Informatik. "ESE has become a must-go event."
Let's take a peek at what's ahead for embedded software in 2025 by revisiting what for many professionals in this space is the marquee event of the year.
Embedded Software: A Quick Overview
Embedded software refers to any software that is used to operate devices that are not typically considered computers. In today's world, it's used in automobiles, climate systems, fitness trackers, and any number of appliances, just to name a few.
But, if there's anything we learned from the ESE Kongress, it's that the application and functionality of embedded software is rapidly evolving. While typically written in C or C++, there is a growing trend of embedded software to be written in Rust. In fact, ESE featured a session completely focused on this programming language. We expect Rust to become more relevant in embedded software.
However, switching from C or C++ to Rust doesn't automatically mean a developer writes better code, despite what many statistics suggest. As Alan Perlis once stated, "A programming language that does not change the way you think about programming is not worth learning."
AI: The Undisputed Star of the Show
As Dr. Becker alluded to, ESE featured a dizzying array of topics in the field of embedded software: software architecture and design, implementation, test and quality, Rust, real time, security, safety, and automotive were among the most popular themes at the conference.
But no topic was more extensively discussed and explored than AI…
You don't have to work in software to realize just how ubiquitous AI has become. But even for the top professionals gathered at ESE, it was eye-opening to realize how much AI has become an integral part of embedded technology – including in the smallest embedded systems. Plus, far more companies are working on their own language learning models for AI than you would expect.
AI is being used to help write code, to test generation from written requirements, and so much more. But it's far from an instantaneous solution; it can be a challenge to implement until teams are able to fully trust the results. And as with any technology that runs on Big Data, it's useless unless your systems are able to handle and process a high volume of information.
A New Golden Age
The most inspiring aspect of the conference was to see just how many brilliant minds are pushing this industry forward, and for so many of these people to be gathered together in the same place. There's never been a more exciting time to work in embedded software, especially considering the way AI is revolutionizing the space.
While unleashing AI in embedded software requires a cohesive strategy in addition to expertise and dedication, there's no question that the possibilities are really limitless.
As keynote speaker Benjamin Bargetzi of the World Economic Forum put it, we could very well be in the midst of a new Renaissance age. Just as the Renaissance revived knowledge that had long been forgotten – giving way to an unprecedented era of artistic expression and technological progress – AI, if harnessed properly, has the power to unlock a similar period… to the power of 1,000.
It won't happen automatically; there is much work to be done. But Bargetzi encouraged attendees (as well as your company) not to work against AI, and instead to embrace it and to be part of the story in shaping this incredible technology.
intive's Expertise in Embedded Software
intive was well-represented at ESE, with six intivers in attendance including the two of us. Though we were there as participants networking and learning about the most cutting edge aspects of embedded software, we were also there as organizers: Max as an advisory board member of the conference and also as the moderator of the test and quality session.
This is a testament to our standing in this industry and the countless success stories we've authored… from Audi's in-car experience to Heathrow's express ticketing platform and an advanced driver monitoring system to make car travel safer for everyone. And the list goes on…
Our solutions are designed for safety, reliability and sustainability, ensuring that embedded systems operate smoothly and efficiently in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.
Your Partner for All Things Embedded
Whether your goal is to build an embedded project from scratch or to enhance an existing embedded software system, you can count on intive to be a reliable partner. Our track record speaks for itself… but we don't simply fall back on our past successes.
With every new project – including yours – we are pushing the embedded software industry forward.
Want to know how intive can bring your embedded products and services to the top of the market? Get in touch with us today.
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